Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
Christian 8.
København
Ingen udskrift, da der er tale om et udkast. Se evt. det afsendte brev, dateret 24.3.1812.
Dateringen fremgår af brevudkastet.
The commentary for this draft is not available at the moment.
Naadige Prinds.
Den bevaagne Skrivelse af 20de December f.A., hvormed det har behaget Deres Høihed at beære mig, er modtagen og gjennemlæst med den varme Taknemmelighed de behagelige Følelser og den varme Taknemlighed som en saadan Skrivelse fra en saadan Haand nødvendig maae foranledige paa opvække hos en Dane, der med den inderligste Kjærlighed til Fædrelandet i saamange Aar har maattet see sig den Forhaabning berøvet engang igjen, om endog kun for en kort Tid, at skue de Arnesteder igien, hvis Værd ey denne selve denne Musernes Have har kundet formindske i hans Øine. og under hvilke gunstige Omstændigheder Med hvilke hvor gunstige Udsigter for de skjønne Kunsters Fremtarv vil jeg ikke kunne vende tilbage! Det samme Academie, der har ledet mig med en hielpsom Haand indtil jeg havde Styrke nok til med Held at fortsætte den begyndte Bane der har og som altsaa har saameget Krav paa min uudslettelige Erkjendtlighed, dette samme Academie vil skal jeg faae at see igjen under en Prindses Bestyrelse, der er der vil fremkalde en nye skjøn smilende Morgenrøde for de skjønne Kunster De glade Tidender, saamangen en me i vort mit Fædreland. De behagelige Efterretninger, saamangen en Landsmand har givet mig om Deres Høyheds Iver og de velgiørende Frugter af Deres Højheds ædle Iver og Beskyttelse, havde allerede længe forberedet mig til at see en ny og lys Epoke i vor Kunsthistorie imøde, og jeg ventede med Længsel efter en nøjere Beretning om Academiets Tilstand, da Deres Højheds naadige Skrivelse paa den mest smigrende Maade overraskede mig. Var Havde min Barm end ikke opflammet af den varmeste F upaamindet været saa opflammet, som den er af den stærkeste Fædrelandskjærlighed og de varmeste Følelser der skj for de Konster, Gienstande, der udgjøre min kjæreste Id og Sysssel, vilde Deres saa skj kraftige Opmuntringer ey og mig saa ærefulde Tillid til mine Evner sikker upaatvivlelig have været tilstrækkelige, til at opildne den dulmende Naadige Prinds! til at opilde den dulmende Gnist. Deres Højhed tillade mig underdanigst at forsikkre Dem underdanigst om at Deres skjønne Eksempel min uafladelig skal vil endog forøge forøge min ivrige Stræben efter at medvirke til de skjønne Kunsters Tarv og Fremme i mit Fædreland og jeg skal stedse findes at være et redebont Hiælpemiddel til at udføre Deres store og store og velgjørende Planer.
Af denne Aarsag har jeg, saasnart jeg havde modtaget Deres Højheds naadige Skrivelse, søgt r begyndt at søge at jevne de Hindringer, der kan være for min Afreise til Fødelandet paa nogen Tid; thi at blive der for stedse er vel, som De selv meget rigtigt anmærker, nu neppe meere gjørligt. Men uagtet al mulig Anstrengelse vil jeg hverken ikke kunne gjøre de hos mig bestilte Figurer Kunstværker og Basrelieffer færdige førend efter et Aars Forløb, ei ei heller ikke vil jeg ikke, som nu for Tiden Ikke hellere vil det ikke være mig mueligt ufortøvet at forlade Rom før jeg har fuldende de Arbejder, der ved Contract til ere bestemte til at være færdige til en vis Tid, før end efter nogen Tids Forløb i næste Aar, ei heller vilde jeg, som nu for Tiden [er] lønnet Professor ved Acad Kunstacademiet S. Luca her i Rom, kunne saa pludselig strax uden forud udvirket Tilladelse forlade denne Stad. Havde Academiet for de skjønne Kunster paa Charlottenborg i Kjøbenhavn, der ellers har været saa velgjørende imod mig, anført mine Andragender til Samme og raadet Bod paa mine engang alt for trykkende Næringssorger, vilde jeg ikke nu være/finde mig i en Stilling, som holder mig fra at være saasn mit Fødeland saasnart til Nytte, som jeg ellers ønsker. Jeg vil altsaa følgelig, som sagt ei før efter omtrent et Aars Forløb kunne nyde den Glæde, at personlig at have den Ære at tilbyde Deres Høihed alle mine Kræfters Anstrengelse paa at udfylde opfylde den Bestemmelse, De maatte værdiges at give mig. Skulde det lykkes mig, at kunne gjøre Deres Højhed min underdanigste Opvartning før den Tid, kan der vel neppe tvivles er Intet naturligere end at jeg vil benytte mig af en saa kiærkommen Fordeel.
Den Efterretning, Deres Højhed værdiges[?] har den Bevaagenhed at meddele mig, at der er fundet et Marmorbrud med hvidt Marmor i Norge, som fuldkommen er skikket til Bearbejdning og altsaa ej er saa blødt som det øvrige norske Marmor, er saare ønskelig og kan ansees for en af de er det tilforladeligt, som particulaire Breve have meldt, at dette Marmor er lige saa godt som det carariske, synes det som om Naturen selv nu vil indbyde Dans og Nors Sønner til med forøget og anstrenget Iver at dyrke hendes Søster under Deres Højheds Vejledning og Varetægt. Endnu har jeg ikke seet det Stykke, Herr Baron von Schubart har taget med sig, men det vil fornøje mig meget at undersøge dets Beskaffenhed.
De vilde gunstigst tilgive mig, Naadige Prinds, om at jeg saa længe har dristet mig til, forlænge saalænge at opholde Dem med nærværende min underdanigste Skrivelse. Det er mine inderlige glade Følelser for ved de skiønne Kunsters Fremvæxt i mit Fødeland, og det er min dybe Ærbødighed for og Taknemmelighed for mod Deres ædle og kraftige Velgjører, som jeg efter bedste Evne, skjønt saare ufuldkomment har stræbt at udtrykke, uagtet denne min Skildring er saare ufuldkommen; men lægger jeg endog men lægger jeg kun en ringe Markblomst kornblomst jeg har lagt paa Alteret, er det eene, fordi jeg ingen bedre Gave har formaaer at række.
Rom, den 16de Marts 1812
Underdanigst
A Thorvaldsen
Gracious Prince,
The favour of December 20th last year with which it has pleased Your Highness to favour me has been received and perused with the warm gratitude the pleasant feelings and the warm gratitude which such a letter from such a hand must give rise to on awaken in a Dane, who with the most sincere love for his native land for so many years has had to find himself deprived of the hope once more to see even for only a short time the fireplaces again the value of which this this the very garden of the Muses has not been able to diminish in his eyes. And under which favourable circumstances With which how favourable prospects for the advancement of the fine arts I shall be able to return! The same Academy of Fine Arts which helpfully has taken me by the hand until I had strength enough successfully to continue the course I had started which has and which so has so much claim to my indelible gratitude this same Academy of Fine Arts will I shall see again under a Prince’s leadership which is which will bring about a new beautiful smiling dawn for the fine arts he happy news so many a in our my native land. The pleasant news many a countryman has given about the zest of Your Highness the pleasant fruits of the noble zest and protection of Your Highness had already for long prepared me to anticipate a new and light epoch in our history of art and I was anxiously expecting a more detailed report of the Academy of Fine Arts’ situation, when the gracious letter from Your Highness surprised me in the most flattering way. Was If my bosom had not aflame with the warmest without being reminded been so aflame as it is with the strongest love for my country and the warmest feelings which for the arts objects which from my dearest pursuit and occupation your very skj strong encouragements not and the for me so honourable confidence in my skills surely doubtless have been sufficient to enflame the soothing ,Gracious Prince! to enflame the smouldering spark. Will Your Highness permit me most humbly most humbly to assure you that your beautiful example my incessant shall will even increase augment my zealous endeavour to contribute to the needs and advancements of the fine arts in my native land and you will always find me to be a willing help to carry out your great and great and pleasant plans.
For this reason, as soon as I had received Your Highness’ favourable letter sought I have begun to seek to smooth away the obstacles there may be to my departure for the native land for some time; for to stay there for ever is, I suppose hardly possible any longer, as you yourself rightly point out. But notwithstanding all possible efforts I shall neither be able to finish the figures, works of art and bas-reliefs commissioned from me until after a year’s time, nor will I as now at present nor not be able without delay to leave Rome until finish the works, which by contract to have been fixed to be finished at a certain time before than after some time next year, neither will I be able to at present being a paid professor at the Aed Academy of Fine Arts S. Luca here in Rome, so suddenly immediately to leave this City without in advance obtained permission. If the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts at Charlottenborg in Copenhagen, which otherwise has been so beneficial to me, had stated my petitions to the same and remedied my once so pressing financial difficulties, I should not now be found in an occupation which prevents me from so soon my native land so soon to be useful as I otherwise wish. So consequently not as said before a year shall I be able to enjoy the pleasure to have the honour to offer to Your Highness all efforts of my power to fill out fulfil the purpose you may deign to grant me. If I should succeed in being able to pay my humble respects to you before that time it can hardly be doubted nothing is more natural than my taking such a welcome advantage.
The information Your Highness vouchsafes favours to give me that a marble quarry with white marble has been discovered in Norway, which fully lends itself to working up and thus is not as soft as the rest of Norwegian marble, is much welcome and it can be regarded as one of the if it is reliable, as particular letters have said that this marble is as good as Carrara marble, it seems as if nature itself will invite Dan’s and Nor’s sons with increased and anxious zest to go in for her sister under the guidance and care of Your Highness. I have not yet seen the piece Baron von Schubart has taken with him, but it will give me great pleasure to examine its quality.
You will favour to forgive me, Gracious Prince, if that I for so long have ventured to too long keep you with the present most humble letter. To the best of my ability I have endeavoured to express my sincere happy feelings at the progress of the fine arts in my native land and my deepest respect for and gratitude for to your noble and powerful benefactor although rather imperfectly although this my description is rather imperfect, but I place but even though I only place a humble field flower corn flower I have placed on the altar, it is only because a better present I have am not able to place.
Rome, March 16th 1812
Most humbly,
A. Thorvaldsen
[Translated by Karen Husum]
Dette er er brevudkast til det afsendte brev af 24.3.1812.
NN
Last updated 26.08.2014